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Kemba Gets Little Help as the Charlotte Hornets’ Poor Defense Can’t Stop Boogie

By Jerry Stephens

Jan 28, 2017; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker (15) handles the ball against Sacramento Kings forward DeMarcus Cousins (15) during the matchup at the Spectrum Center. The Kings win 109-106 over the Hornets. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 28, 2017; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker (15) handles the ball against Sacramento Kings forward DeMarcus Cousins (15) during the matchup at the Spectrum Center. The Kings win 109-106 over the Hornets. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports /
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The bad times have officially hit the Charlotte Hornets as they are reeling at the moment after losing their fourth straight game.

The Charlotte Hornets dropped their fourth consecutive game as DeMarcus Cousins and the Sacramento Kings came into The Hive and stole won on the Hornets’ home court, 109-106. Kemba Walker put up some impressive numbers but he didn’t get much help outside of Nicolas Batum‘s 19 points. Cody Zeller missed his third straight game as Charlotte struggled without him.

Boogie dominated the Hornets putting up 35 points and 18 rebounds including the game-winning shot with just over 10 seconds left. This was a bit of a heartbreaker for Charlotte as Frank Kaminsky air balled a wide open three-point attempt just before the buzzer to potentially win the game. You could hear the disappointment in the arena after the shot came up about a foot short of the rim.

There was no revenge game for Marco Belinelli who was facing his former team from last year. The Italian finished with only seven points on 3-10 shooting from the field. Charlotte dropped to two games under .500 which is the first time they have hit that mark since February 5th, 2016 last season.

More from Swarm and Sting

Kemba Walker NEEDS Help

Kemba leads the Hornets in scoring almost every single night. Nicolas Batum usually adds anywhere from 14-19 points and then there are a few players that hover around 10-12 points. That’s good enough most of the time but not this season. The Hornets are clearly lacking a third scorer and a playmaker off the bench.

It is evident that Walker needs more help. Here’s looking at you, Rich Cho. This team needs a trade before the deadline as they could risk missing out on the playoff entirely.

Cody Zeller is More Important Than Everyone Thought

Zeller has only missed nine games this season. In those nine games, the Hornets are only 1-8. With DeMarcus Cousins’ dominance over both Roy Hibbert and Spencer Hawes, it is clear that Cody is not only the team’s best option at center but their only reliable option as well.

Heading into the season, it was unclear the impact that Zeller would have but now, he is clearly Charlotte’s third best player behind Kemba and Nic. Without him, they will struggle and likely lose, so please come back soon Cody.

When Will the Losing Streak End?

Charlotte has lost four consecutive games and they are now going to head out West on a three-game road trip. That trip features games against the Blazers, the Golden State Warriors, and the Utah Jazz.

This losing streak may not end anytime soon as the Hornets have lost seven straight away from home and 12 of their last 14 on the road in total. This streak could reach seven games before they return home and get an easy one, I use that term loosely, against the Brooklyn Nets.

Next: Making a Trade for Carmelo Anthony

The Charlotte Hornets will now take on the backcourt duo of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum in their next match as they travel West to face the Portland Trail Blazers. They are starting to hit desperate times in the Queen City and things could get worse before they get better. Steve Clifford has plenty of problems on his hands going forward.

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